Aerial tramway.



W. G. LAWSON. AERIAL TBAMWAY. -APPLIGA'IION FILED FEB. 8. 1910,

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

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AERIAL TRAMWAY.

APPLICATION FILED Ems, 1910.

P atented Nov. 1, 1910.

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W. G. LAWSON. AERIAL TRAM WAY APPLICATION FI ED MBA, 1910.

Patented Nov. 1,; 1910.

, wILLIAM o. nawson, "or oanoke, VIRGINIA.

\. AERIAL 'i naiviwaY.

To all whom it may cgnd er'n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMiC. Lawson,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Tramways,

' 7 of which the following is a specification.

The resent invention relates to improve:

ments 111 that type of aerial tramway disports and lower cross bars, 11.

closed in my former Patents Nos. 826,340, July 17, 1906, and 921,718, May 18, 190,9.

The primary object is to provide certain improvements, which produce a stronger structure, one that is at the same time simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct,

and said improvementsalso resulting in less wear upon the various arts.

Y. In the drawings :-F1gure 1.is a side ele vation of a section of the aerial tramway,"

withintermediate portions broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one ofthe supports for the terminal section loops. Fig. 3 is a view,in elevation of one of the intermediate supports. Fig. 1- is a longitudinal sectional View through on-eof the rocker arms on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the hauling cable supthereof. l

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding-parts in all the figures of the drawings. I

As usual, a plurality of supports, designated respectively 7 and 8, areflemployed' for the terminals of the cable rail sections,"

and between these supportsaref'plaeed one I or more intermediate supports 9,depending on thedistance'the supports 7 and 8 are spaced :1. art. One ofthc supports, as 7, is

em l'oye for thelooped ends 'ofthe' cable rai sections, while the other, support, as 8,

is employed for-'anchdringthe endsoi' the cable trail sections, many or the supports;

7 and 8 being emp'loyed,fas may be desired,

and depending of'course'on the loads to be carried'and the length of the tramway,

Considering first "the "supports 7 and 8 florthe ends of the cable rail sections hl-G, ll/Will be noted that sets of spaced stand ards li) are employed that are connected by u y I v I The upper ends of th'e'standards of each set are connected by tierods 12, andniountedmn these tie rods, (are brackets, comprising}. hubs 13, through 'which said rods pass, t

Specification of Letters am. Application filed rebmar s, 1910; e ser ial no, 542,767.

guides. Fig. 6 a sideiel'evationf' ese hubs carrying Patented Nov. 1,1910;

1 divergently disposed arms 14. Secured to the u per ends of the arms, and located on oppos te sides of the same, are spaced. railforming elements 15 formed of angle bars riveted or otherwise secured to said'arms. Arranged between the said rail elements 15, inside the bracket arms 14, are rollers 16. The ends of the 'loo edcable rail sections are fixedto the'stan ards 10 of the support 8, and extend in opposite directions, eing crossed, as-shown in Fig. 1. The pass over the rollers 16 between the rail e ements 15, and thence extend to the adjacent-supports 7 for the looped ends of the sections. At this support, they pass down over the rolletween the rail elements 15, and around sheaves 17, journaled in yokes 18 that aresecured to certain of the cross bars 11 by *tension'bolts 19. It will be observed that the ends of-the rail elements 15 are downturne'd, and that the cables are fitted between said ends, so that they can playu and down therein, without being hammere or out, and this is an important feature in the practical working of the system.

The intermediate supports 9, havespaced standards 20,,conne'cted at their upper "ends by a tie od'al, on which are journaled rockers. "These rockers comprise hubs 22, carrying upwardly divergent arms'23, to

the upper ends of which are secured track sections or elements 24 that comprise angle bars. The terminal, portions of these bars "are downturned. The cable rail sect-ions 16 pass longitudinally between the elements 15, and are heldagainst upward movement by centrally disposed pins 25. The rocking movements of the track elements arelalso limited, by pins 26 passing through the ends of said elements, and disposed below the cables- It will thus be evident that with these rockers, the cable and elements 24 can ,have a relative up and down playfwithout hammering .or cutting the cable. Furthermore the distance betweenthe axis of each rockerand the cable is such'tha-t the swinging movement of'said'cable will just'equal thelongitudinal: movement of said {cable under the strain of an approachingear, and

.there will'therefore be no longitudinal slidmg movement of the cable" in the rocker. As a. consequenceywhenja car pa'sses over this system, the cables; will have'free move- -ment, and there will bepractically no wearing action upon them, nor will they be harn- On each tie rod between the track members and rockers, are lccnely journaled brackets 28 thatare hcl U at longitudinal, movement-on said tie rods by collars 29. These brackets have oppositely extending downwardly inclined sets of arms 30.- A journal pin 31 connects the free ends or the arms of each set, said pin being held in place by any suitable means, as for instance by cotter pins 32. Rotatably mounted on these pins, be-, tween the arms, are idler sheaves .33, over which the hauling cable passes. The hub ofv the bracket is preferably provided at its" upper side with a central groove 34 to pernnt the passage of the haulmg cable, without friction.

There are many advantages for this structure. In the first place, it will be observed that the cable is comparatively low. Then again, instead of its being supported. at each structure by a single sheave, the weight is -.divided between the two sheaves, which automatically position themselves against said cable. Furthermore, inasmuch as the tie rods 12 and 21 are ordlnarily of comparatively great diameter, a sin 'le sheave rotatably mounted thereon, is suijected to considerable friction, whereas the two sheaves, as disclosed, can be lliOlllItt-d on comparatively small journal pins.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation'and'many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size,

shape, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing-any of the advantages of the invention Havin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of an upstanding bracket mounted thereon, spaced rail members secured to opposite sides of the bracket, and a cable rai-l extending between the rail members.

2. In an aerial t 'amway, the combination with supporting means, of a bracket mounted thereon and having upstanding arms, rail members secured to opposite sides of the bracket arms, anda cable rail extending between the rail members and over the bracket arms.

3. In an aerial tramway, the combination with spaced standards and a tie rod connectiug the same, of an upstanding bracket mounted on the tie rod, spaced rail members secured to opposite sides of the bracket, and a cable rail extending between the rail members. e

4. In an aerial tramway, the combination with spaced standards and a tie rod connecting the same, of an 11 standing bracket comprising a hub througi which the rod passes, said hub having an upstanding arm, a rail member fixed to the arm, and a cable rail engaged with the bracket.

5. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of upstanding brackets mounted thereon, rail members including spaced elements, each secured at its ends to opposite sides of the brackets, and cable -1'ails passing between the elements and secured to the supporting means.

6. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means comprising sets of spaced standards, and a tie rod connecting the standards of each set, of brackets mounted on the tie rods and having divergent arms, rail members comprising spaced flanged bars secured to opposite sides of the bracket arms, and cable rails passing between the flanged bars.

7. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of a rail element pivoted between its ends on the supportin means and a rail cable that extends longitudinally of the rail element, said cable and member being capable of relative up and down play without causing a cutting or hammering action on the cable.

8. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of a rocker element pivotally mounted on the supporting means, and a rail cable that extends alongside the rocker element, the ends of said rocker element and the cable being capable of relative up and down play alongside each other.

9. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of a rail member pivotally mounted between its ends thereon and comprising spaced elements and a'c'able rail extending between the elements and movable with respect thereto,

'10. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means, of a single railmember pivotally mounted between its ends thereon, and a cable rail extending alongside the element, said element and rail being I track rail extending between thenmgle bars.

13. In an aerial tramway, the combination with spaced supports, of a tie rod connecting the same, rocker arms pivoted on the tie rod, a spacing device interposed between the rocker arms, and means connecting the supports and spacing device.

14. In an aerial tramway, the ,combination with spaced supports, of a tie rod connecting the same, sets of rocker arms pivoted on the tie rod and comprising hubs having divergent arms, spaced angle bars secured to opposite sides of the arms, cable rails extending between the spaced angle bars, a spacing device interposed between the central rocker arms, and bracing means connecting the snaced supports and spacing device. g

15. In an aerial tramway, the combination with a support, of a track mounted thereon, a hauling cable, and means for supporting and guiding the hauling cable comprising a bracket pivoted between its ends on the support, and cable engaging idlers journaled on the bracket on opposite sides of its pivot axis.

16. In an aerial tramway, the combination with-a support having a tie rod, of a track mounted on the support, a haulin cable and meansfor supporting and guiding the hauling cable comprising a bracket pivoted between its ends on thesupport and having oppositely extending downwardly inclined arms, and cable engaging idlers journaled onthe bracket on opposite sides of its pivot axis.

17. In an aerial tramway, the combmation with spaced'standards, of a tie rod connecting the same, track members mounted on the tie'ro'd, cable rail sections engaging the track members, a bracket pivoted on the rod between the track members and between its with sup orting means, of spaced upstanding brac (ets mounted thereon, spaced rail members connectin the brackets and secured to opposite sides of the'same, and a cable rail extending between the rail members. 20. In an aerial tramway, the combination with supporting means including transverse tie rods, of spaced upstanding brackets com- .prising hubs, through which the tie rods pass, said hubs having upstanding arms, a rail member having its end portions secured to the said bracket arms, and a cable rail extending longitudinally of the rail member and associated therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. LAWSON.

Witnesses:

S. M. CoRNE'rT, J r., C. W. B1sHo'P. 

